


Hiding from the Beast

by yarnsky4



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F, Hilda means well but she's kinda an idiot sometimes, Light Angst, Mental Health Issues, Pre-Time Skip, let Marianne express her trauma, lots of yearning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-06
Updated: 2020-08-18
Packaged: 2021-03-06 01:54:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,258
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25755415
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yarnsky4/pseuds/yarnsky4
Summary: “Doesn’t it terrify you? The fact that anyone can just… turn into a monster?"Marianne is nowhere to be seen after a battle, which doesn’t escape the notice of Hilda. A talk between the two reveals hidden fears for both of them, and leads to a dangerous encounter that brings them closer to understanding the other.
Relationships: Marianne von Edmund/Hilda Valentine Goneril
Comments: 6
Kudos: 53





	1. After the Battle

“Gross!” Hilda slid a rag over her blood-stained axe, wincing as the blood leaked onto her hand. So much work, even after fighting an exhausting battle. That isn’t even considering the massive trek to kingdom territory and back. 

Now the Golden Deer house had set up camp outside Conand Tower, their mysterious professor having decided that a trip back in the dead of a stormy night wouldn’t be wise. For once, Hilda is inclined to agree with her.

With a sigh, she set her axe down in her tent. Complaining isn’t as fun when no one’s there to hear it. She was supposed to be sharing a tent with Marianne, but the shy girl still hadn’t shown up. 

Hilda was already worried during the fight with Miklan, where Marianne kept stumbling over her magic and getting hurt. She’d better find the other and encourage her to actually get sleep for once. Still, it was outside, in the loud, pouring rain. A delicate flower like her would be soaked cold! 

Peeking her head around her tent flap, Hilda spied four other tents. Hilda could only imagine the fun times she’d have sharing one with Claude, but at least she wasn’t Sylvain, forced to room with the professor as the newest recruit. She let out a snort at the thought of him sitting in awkward silence with the professor that convinced him to join the class with, ahem, convincing lesson plans.

In the distance, Hilda could barely see a red pulsing in the tent Sylvain and the professor shared, a faint source of illumination in the darkness. The Lance of Ruin. A grotesque weapon, capable of turning people into monsters. Her brother’s own relic creeped her out, but if it got passed down to her, at least it wouldn’t involve spilling blood. 

“Marianne?” The downpour reduced her voice to a mere whisper. “Marianne!” No response.

“Ugh, of course it's up to me,” Hilda whined, stepping out from her tent. Immediately, raindrops battered against her head, soaking her hair and clothes. Each step of her boots seemed to land in a puddle, splashing dirty water all up her legs. She must’ve looked absolutely awful, like a scruffy kitten dropped in a lake. The faster she finds Marianne, the better. 

“Marianne?!” She called out again. Searching behind every tent was fruitless, and the only other way that didn’t lead to a forest was back to Conand Tower. In the tent to her right, she could hear a smarmy voice arguing with a teasing one, likely Lorenz and Claude, who had the misfortune of being paired up together. Hilda made a face at the thought of having to get between those two to ask for help. 

“Hello?” Hilda peeked in the tent on her left to see Raphael and Ignatz fast asleep, the former snoring loudly. Of course they’d fall asleep early. 

Then, someone drew aside the flaps on the other tent, revealing a short girl with white hair.

“Who’s out here?” Lysithea grumbled.

With a gasp, Hilda clasped her hands in front of her, begging, “Lysithea, my savior! You’ve got to help me find Marianne!” 

“Really? Is she alright?” The other girl yawned. 

Hilda couldn’t resist. “Aw, is it past your bedtime?”

“N-No!” Lysithea scoffed, cheeks heating up. “Ugh, Claude already said that!”

At this, Hilda giggled. She may not have known Claude for long, but it seems great minds do think alike. 

“You know what? Now I’m not helping. You can go and find Marianne on your own!” Lysithea huffed, letting the tent flaps hang back down. 

“W-what?” Hilda sputtered, trying to think. “I-I’ll give you some of my perfume! My makeup! Lysithea!” She waited for a response, while none came. There was still one hope. “Is Leonie in there?” 

She heard muffled voices speaking, and suddenly Leonie was peeking out at her. 

“Sorry, I’m supposed to tell you that I can’t help you. But, uh, good luck!” The orange-haired girl gave a cheery smile and retreated back to her tent. Her dry and warm tent. 

Hilda groaned. Sylvain was out of the question, and the professor would just force her to find Marianne herself for “personal growth”. It seemed she had no choice. 

Sucking up her courage, Hilda took her first steps away from the camp and back to the site of their last battle. Lightning flashed in the sky, illuminating the path to the tower.  


Seconds later, a boom of thunder shook the air, sending shivers down Hilda’s spine. The further she went, the more concern built up in a pit in her stomach. Surely searching for Marianne was just endangering them both? 

Just as Hilda was contemplating asking the professor after all, a shock of blue hair appeared in the darkness. 

“Marianne!” Her spirit renewed, Hilda dashed forward towards the silhouette. As she approached, a flash of lightning lit up the night, showing Marianne facing away from Hilda and staring up at the tower, still in her priest clothing from the previous battle. 

“There you are! What are you doing all the way out here?” 

Marianne turned around at the sound of Hilda’s voice. Now closer to her, Hilda could see the soft round of Marianne’s pale face and the loose strands of hair being flattened against her face by the rain. Her lips parted in a surprised shape, and she fluttered her eyes open and shut as if to make sure Hilda was real. 

“...Hilda. You should leave me alone.”

“C’mon, silly, we gotta get back to the camp,” Hilda put her hand on the other’s shoulder, causing her to flinch away at the touch. Marianne turned her eyes back up at the foreboding tower ahead of her. It loomed high above them, a reminder of the trials they faced to get to the very top. 

“I can’t go to bed. I-I shouldn’t bother you all.” 

“Marianne,” Hilda drew her name out, “you can’t stay out here long, you’ll freeze up! This rain is making me feel miserable.” Usually, a whiny tone and a pitiful pout would get anyone to listen to her, but Marianne shook her head, changing her stare to the ground. 

“Please, don’t stay out here for my sake.” 

Hilda huffed. Clearly this wasn’t working. “Marianne. There’s something on your mind, isn’t there? Why don’t I shut up for once and you talk?” 

Hilda watched Marianne’s throat bob in a nervous swallow as she started to talk, transfixed by the movement, wishing she could get closer to feel the warmth of her skin… 

“-doesn’t it terrify you?” 

“Huh?” Hilda blinked.

“The-the fact that anyone can just… turn into a monster.” 

So this is what was troubling her. Hilda looked at her hands, trying to think of a good answer. She couldn’t pretend to be sympathetic or give a bunch of compliments like she does to most people. Marianne was different. 

“Well, yeah, of course. It’s super messed up. But don’t get all worried over it. You’ll be fine! People are here to protect you from anyone who turns into a monster. _I’ll _protect you.” The words were out of her mouth before Hilda could even register what she had just said. Thankfully, it seemed to be the right thing, because Marianne’s lips barely curved into a smile. Such a little change, yet it set Hilda’s heart racing in her chest.__

__“That… that’s sweet… but-”_ _

__In a bold move, Hilda reached her hands out to cup Marianne’s own soft ones, cheeks flushing warmly at the sudden contact. Marianne flinched, but didn’t withdraw, moving her gaze to stare directly into the other’s eyes. In every conversation, it seemed that her eyes were always focused on the environment, but now, Hilda had her full attention. Those soft grey eyes that seemed to guard so many thoughts… It was a level of intimacy beyond what Hilda knew. Elated at the feeling, she continued speaking eagerly._ _

__“I mean it! Sylvain’s brother was already a beastly person anyway. My brother always told me that bad people have no choice but to meet a terrible fate in the end!”_ _

__Marianne’s eyebrows wavered. Her eyes suddenly unfocused, as if she was looking straight through Hilda._ _

__“Hey, are you okay?” Hilda asked. Marianne gave no response, only starting to breathe harder and harder until she seemed to struggle to inhale. She ripped her hands away from Hilda’s, clawing at the fabric on her chest as if it was constricting her. Soon enough, Marianne had begun to cry, heaving with each sob. Hilda could only stand there, mouth hanging open, clueless as how to help._ _

__“Please, Marianne, calm down. Please, it’s okay, you’re fine, you’re fine,” None of her reassurances got through to the other. Hilda almost burst into tears as well, chest burning in shame. She caused this. How could she screw it up this badly?_ _

__“I-I-I need to… g-go,” Marianne barely managed to speak between the gasping sobs that wracked her body. She pushed Hilda aside with her shoulder as she dashed away, straight into the woods._ _

__“No, NO! Marianne!”_ _


	2. Into the Woods

Hilda couldn’t believe what was happening. She was so used to having it all under control. Now she was frozen in place, pelted by raindrops and staring despairingly at the spot Marianne disappeared into. 

“C’mon Hilda, fix this!” She hissed under her breath. No one could pick up her slack now. She caused this, and now she had to do something. 

Hilda took a deep breath, staring down the tall line of trees ahead of her. She’d gone up against countless bandits and thieves and all kinds of enemies. A measly group of trees couldn’t faze her. With a determined look set on her face, she bawled her hands into fists, and ran. 

Entering the forest blocked out what little light the moon provided, yet thankfully, also the rain. Hilda squinted her eyes, trying to make out where a safe path to run was. She nearly ran straight into a trunk, having to push aside from it to maintain speed. The dodging and weaving felt just like all the insufferable exercises in class she had to complete, but now it had a purpose. Tree branches scraped at her arms and face, but she blazed through with a yell, thumping her boots against the ground to the rhythm of her heartbeat. She’d never felt so barbaric, yet so alive in her life. 

“Marianne!” Hilda cried out. Her sight was severely limited, so she needed to rely on hearing to find Marianne. Sweet Marianne… She’s a healer, not a fighter. Hilda needed to find her. Any stray bandit could easily kidnap her in her state. But if it came down to death, would Hilda really… 

All of a sudden, she felt her whole world shift as her foot caught on a thick root, slamming her into the ground. Hilda groaned, her whole head aching and the side of her face suddenly coated with mud. Bugs must’ve been crawling all over the earth, even over her! But getting up seemed like so much effort, more than Hilda could spare. 

From the ground, she yelled, “Are you out there?!” Her cries fled into the darkness to an unknown audience. It seemed only the pattering of raindrops on leaves would reply.  


Then, somewhere in the forest, Hilda heard a faint response of familiar sobbing. Her heart jumped in her chest at this rekindled flame of hope. A chance to do something right. 

Hilda wiped the grime off her face with her sleeve and pushed back up from the ground, muscles shaking with use. She grimaced at the painful twinge in her right ankle as she put weight on it, but she gritted her teeth and stood up. This delicate flower wasn’t finished yet. She needed to fix her earlier mistakes, even if she couldn’t figure out what they were. 

She set off in a quick limping walk, following the sound of crying. It was nothing like the fake tears Hilda used to garner sympathy, but a cry of raw pain that she desperately wanted to stop. She honed in as the noise grew louder until she circled a tree to see Marianne on the other side. Her arms were curled around her knees on the ground, and every second or so, she’d tremble with muffled cries. 

“Marianne,” Hilda gasped for air. “It’s me. I’m here.” She reached a hand down, holding it out even as her arm started to tremble. 

The blue-haired girl paused her sobbing and looked up with puffy red eyes. “You… you came for me?” 

Hilda was as surprised as her. “I guess I did.”

Marianne looked at Hilda’s hand as if it was a beacon of light in a land filled by darkness, yet hesitated, with a conflicted look on her face. 

“You can do it,” Hilda said softly. 

With a shuddering breath, Marianne took Hilda’s hand and used it to pull herself up from the ground. Her steps were wobbly, and suddenly she lurched forward onto Hilda. 

“Oh!” Hilda gasped as Marianne clung onto her with a hug. Even with all the dirt and wet clothes and running tears, the embrace was everything that Hilda desired. Warmth and comfort blossoming in her chest, the relief of knowing that they weren’t separated and could feel safe together. If Marianne wasn’t burying her face into Hilda’s shoulder, she’d surely see the cherry red blush on her face.

“Thank you,” Marianne mumbled from beside her ear. 

“You’re welcome.” 

Hilda slowly moved away, letting Marianne remove herself and stand up on her own. Breaking the embrace felt like stepping away from a moment and knowing you’ll never feel the same emotion again. 

“Hilda… are you okay? You look, well, kinda, awful.” 

“I’ll be alright. Listen, Marianne. I want to talk to you, and really listen this time.” 

Marianne nodded. “I’d like that. W-we should find the camp again.” 

Hilda smiled, hoping to see the expression mirrored in front of her. “Yes. This time, we’ll stick together.” She glanced down at her ankle and gave a nervous chuckle. “Um, Marianne? Could you maybe help me walk?” 

“Oh no, you got that looking for me? I’m so sorry-”

Hilda knew where this was going, and quickly intervened. “Shh, I know. I came out looking because I wanted to, I can handle a little hurt. Just, maybe give healing it a quick whirl?” Internally, she knew that she absolutely couldn’t stand having to deal with the pain of walking around with a twisted ankle, but it was best Marianne didn’t know that. 

“Oh, of course!” Marianne closed her eyes and held her hands up in front of her, whispering a few faint words. Light suddenly drew from her fingertips, forming a simple circle of glowing formulas across from Hilda in the air finished off with a flourish of her hand in the air. Suddenly, the tension in Hilda’s foot dissipated, and as she put more weight down on it, it held strong and steady. 

“Thank you so much!” Hilda gave her a quick hug, trying to avoid the temptation of giving Marianne a peck on the cheek in gratitude. “You’re really amazing, you know that?” 

“I-It’s nothing,” Marianne looked back down at her feet, but Hilda saw the light pink flush on her cheeks. 

“Now, we can finally get going.” Hilda looked around her surroundings. Every which way was just more trees and bushes. “Huh. We’re… pretty lost.”

Marianne’s lip trembled. “It’s hopeless, isn’t it?” 

“No no no,” Hilda needed a solution, now. “Uh, let’s just, uh, wander around and call out for the others?” 

The other slowly nodded, still looking very doubtful. 

Hilda cupped her hands and yelled, “Professor! Claude!” She walked forward past a couple lines of trees, listening for any sign of other people around. “Hello?! Anyone out there?!”  


Hilda sighed and turned around to make sure Marianne was still with her. Thankfully, she was still close behind, looking nervously around at the dark woods 

“I’m not sure if th-this is a very good idea,” Marianne said softly. 

“Well, it’s the best one I have. And coincidentally the only one! Ahem. Professor! Teacher! Teach!” Her voice cracked. Too much yelling in one day. 

The only thing they could hear around them was the hoot of an owl. 

“Ugh!” Hilda kicked a rock, which did not feel as cathartic as she wanted. It just hurt. 

“Hilda, we should be quieter-” 

“It’s all my stupid fault!" 

"Please, lower your voic-"

"This is why I never want to take responsibility! Of course I screwed it up-” 

“Be quiet!” Marianne slapped her hand over Hilda’s mouth. Her eyebrows flew up in surprise at Marianne’s sudden increase in volume. She’d never seen her act so boldly before. 

“Hmfh?” Hilda tried to speak. 

Marianne removed her hand to point, arm shaking with fear, to her left. Nuzzled in the foliage of the forest, two bright yellow eyes stared out at the two of them. They were huge, as wide as the trunk of a tree. The creature the eyes belonged to slowly advanced forward, with booming steps that seemed to crack the ground beneath it. 

Hilda took an unsteady step back. “Wh-what is that?” 

“Goddess… is this it?” Marianne whispered. She was staring straight forward with no sign of moving. 

The creature moved into a ray of moonlight, revealing a long furry snout with razor-sharp teeth. 

“It’s a giant wolf!” Hilda cried out. The wolf was nowhere as dangerous as monsters like the beast Sylvain’s brother turned into, but with no weapons, they were at the mercy of it’s fangs. “Marianne, we’ve got to run!” 

“Hilda… go and save yourself,” Marianne said, terrifyingly calm. 

“Not without you!” Heart pounding frantically in her chest, Hilda searched her surroundings for something, anything to help them. With no better options, she snapped a tree branch over her leg and brandished it as a weapon, yelling out towards the wolf. “You want it? Come and get some!” 

It snapped its gaze away from Marianne to where Hilda was frantically waving the branch around, and growled in a low tone. 

Hilda could see Marianne’s face turn from cold resignment to confusion and terror as the wolf passed her and lunged for Hilda. 

“Ahh!” Hilda jumped to the side, barely grazing past the claws swiping at her. It slammed into a tree, shaking down leaves upon them. In a quick move, she jabbed the branch straight into its eye with tremendous force, leaving it stuck there in its face in a spray of blood.

It was subtle, but in the action, Hilda could feel her crest activate. The sudden rush of adrenaline through her blood and explosion of strength in her body left her feeling more awake than ever. The same effect her ancestors had used against their enemies in mighty battles was still alive in Hilda, coursing in her veins. 

The wolf reared up on its legs with a cry of pain, and slammed back onto the ground, stunned. 

Hilda ran over to Marianne and reached out her hand. “Alright, let’s get out of here!” 

Marianne nodded, taking her hand gingerly. Hilda paused at the touch, looking at how well their hands seemed to fit together. It felt right. Like she could run forever holding the other's hand. Suddenly, Marianne glanced over Hilda’s shoulder. Her eyes grew wide, and she shrieked. 

Hilda turned as quick as she could to see the beastly wolf bearing down upon her. How... how did it get up so quickly? In a flash, a claw was raised and swiped down onto Hilda. She could only scream as it knocked her down to the ground, effectively pinning her under its giant paw. “Help! Help me!” Kicking and punching did no good. The paw seemed to be wider than her entire body, pressing down more and more until Hilda started gasping for breath. “Marianne!” 

She looked over to the blue-haired girl who looked petrified, hands over her mouth. “Please…” Hilda whimpered. But it wouldn't matter. She was trapped.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter done, and only one left to go! I suppose I always have to end on a cliffhanger. Please, don't be afraid to leave comments, even tiny ones. They make my day! :)


	3. Away from Sight

The giant wolf growled down at Hilda, satisfied to have her trapped. Her chest was heaving with effort as she kept the claw from completely crushing her. However, the snapping jaws of the wolf would surely finish her in seconds. Tears started to well up in her eyes.

So… she’d die saving someone else after all. Just like she wanted to avoid. This is what came when others expected her to be able to be responsible and find Marianne on her own. 

It was all too easy to imagine the disappointed looks on the faces of her classmates, knowing she couldn’t even handle a simple task. But… of course she did it. It’s Marianne. She should’ve known from the moment she cleaned up all those books for her in the library. It was all too easy to take over, using it to get closer to the elusive mystery that is Marianne. What Hilda would’ve given to have understood her… 

“Hilda!” Marianne shouted. Above her, Hilda saw a sudden flash light up the area. “Stay back!” With a yell of effort, Marianne flung her hands out. Right before her eyes, Hilda saw a huge mound of ice form on the ground, growing rapidly into the side of the wolf. It howled in pain, wriggling around desperately, but it was no use. The ice had trapped it . 

The paw on top of Hilda was lifted as the wolf tried to use it to stand up, allowing Hilda to scramble back clumsily. She pushed back up to standing, nervously eyeing the struggling wolf in front of her.

“It won’t hold for long. W-we really have to go now,” Marianne said. Hilda wanted to thank her, to say a million things about how amazing that was, how amazing she was to save her like that, how terrifyingly beautiful she could look when fighting, but she couldn’t. Not yet. The only thing she could do now was go with Marianne and run. And so, under the dark cover of the night, the two of them turned and ran as fast as they could. 

For Hilda, this wasn’t very fast. She had already spent far too much time running this night, and each breath in and out pained her entire chest. Marianne was already ahead, her priest robes billowing behind her. It seemed that Hilda would never be able to catch up, and Marianne would slip out of sight into the crowded forest, but the threat of death was a quiet and powerful motivator. Behind them, a sudden shattering of ice rang out through the forest, followed by huge thumps against the ground. 

“Damn it,” Hilda muttered through her teeth. The wolf was determined to make them its prey. Hopefully the tight spacing of trees would slow it down. 

Hilda wanted to reach in front of her where Marianne was running to take her hand and hold it tight. It would make everything feel better… but she couldn’t. Marianne had already healed her and then saved her. There was no way she’d risk her life by slowing down. At least, that was what Hilda thought. She had helped Marianne before, but with her life on the line, she knew who she’d choose to save between the two of them.

All of a sudden, Marianne thudded to a stop. “Oh no…” 

Hilda caught up to her, putting her hands on her knees to catch her breath. When she looked back up, she saw what was so concerning. They had emerged out from the thick of the forest, trees starting to thin, but the problem was the sheer cliff face rising up high in front of them. Pebbles crumbled down from the steep rocky cliff. No way it was safe to climb. 

“What do we do?” Hilda despaired. 

“I-I…” Marianne stuttered, speechless. They turned to look back to the dense woods. They couldn’t see the giant wolf through the darkness, but they could hear it, trampling over roots and bushes. 

“No, no, no, there’s got to be another way to go!” Yet, Hilda's feet felt glued to her spot on the ground. Nowhere to run. Helpless. To her surprise, Marianne was still searching for a way to get to safety, looking along the sides of the cliff. 

“There!” She pointed to the left, where a small, barely noticeable hole led to, presumably, a cave. She glanced back at Hilda with a desperate expression. Marianne… was she really waiting for her? 

A split second later, the wolf burst through into the clearing, making Hilda scream. It was bleeding heavily from its side, but still fighting. Everything she had done tonight would be for nothing if she let herself be killed by a stupid wolf. Using the last of her energy, Hilda ran past Marianne and squeezed through the tiny opening of the cave, emerging into darkness. 

“Marianne? Marianne!” 

A shadowed figure slipped into the cave. Marianne. Hilda rushed to embrace her, holding her tightly as if they had been separated for years. 

“Thank the goddess,” Hilda whispered. Marianne was shivering against her. “It’s okay, it’s alright. We made it.” 

Marianne withdrew and shifted away. Hilda could barely see her in the cave, with a faint source of light from the cave entrance. Still, it was so much better than being out in the rain, lost in a forest, and being chased by a wolf. It could be worse. She could be Claude, forced to share a tent with Lorenz. Oh, the horror. At least she was with Marianne. 

Speaking of the blue-haired girl, she had moved over to the thin entrance and spared a glance to the outside. “It-it’s still out there. Pacing back and forth.” 

“Ugh, we’ll have to wait all night until dawn for it to go away,” Hilda sighed. “What a crazy night.” She plopped down to a seat, wincing at the hard rock ground. 

“I’m so sorry,” Marianne’s quiet voice wavered. “This all happened because of me. You tried to help, but getting close to me only results in danger.” 

“What? That’s not true. I’ve been with you plenty of other times and enjoyed it.” Hilda didn’t say it, but thought of the way her gazes lingered on Marianne and how she always sought her out. Perhaps her feelings were more than just friendship. 

“Yes, b-but you can’t deny that without me, you would’ve been fine.” 

“Maybe, but when I’m with you, I feel more than fine. You make me happy. I want to be with you.” 

Hilda couldn’t see Marianne’s face in the darkness, but her silence spoke volumes. After a moment, she too came to a seat on the ground, where the moonlight illuminated her more. 

“I’m not worth it. You do too much for me. I-I just get in your way.” 

Hilda sighed. “Marianne, you do realize that tonight you’ve helped me just as many times as I’ve helped you? Why do you devalue all your contributions?” 

“I… don’t know. I don’t know what to say.” 

“That’s fine. You know, you never got a chance to explain why you were so upset earlier. Something about being killed by someone turning into a beast. You could… start with that?” 

“...It’s not that. It’s…” The words seemed like they were stuck in her throat. Hilda remained silent, ready to be patient for once. After all, they had plenty of time. 

“I’m afraid of… turning into a beast.” 

That wasn’t what Hilda was expecting. “Well, you have no reason to be afraid. You’d never turn into a beast.” 

Marianne sniffed, a tear escaping her eye. “You said it yourself. Bad people have bad fates.” 

“What? You’re not a bad person!” 

“You don’t know that!” Her voice rose higher. Hilda didn’t dare to breath, letting the only sound be the rain hitting the ground outside. “I… I have secrets. I’ll never be able to leave behind the history of my ancestors.” Marianne looked down at her hands, moving her fingers to trace the veins on her wrist. 

“Your ancestors?” Hilda furrowed her eyebrows. She had never thought of Marianne’s bloodline before. All she knew was that the girl was adopted by a noble and raised to be one. “That doesn’t matter. I mean, my opinion of you isn’t going to change whether or not I know who your grandfather’s grandfather was. I may not know that, but I know you, Marianne. You’re sweet, and gentle, and certainly not a monster. You love animals, especially horses. You pray to the goddess everyday, even though no one knows what you pray for. And you’re quite clumsy when it comes to some tasks, but you still try.” Hilda finished all in one breath. “That… that is what matters.” 

“H-Hilda… you can’t possibly mean that,” Marianne whispered, tears slowly running down her face. Hilda reached out and wiped one from her cheek. 

“It’s the truth, silly! No one in class would ever consider you to be a monster.” 

Marianne gave a weak smile. “Thank you. Is… is it alright if I ask you a question?” 

“Of course!” 

“Why didn’t anyone else come with you? Did-did they even care?” 

“Of course they care! It’s just… uh…” Hilda trailed off. It always seemed like she was the only one bringing up Marianne into conversations or thinking about her. 

Why didn’t anyone else go to get Marianne? Still, she could’ve tried harder to get someone else. She could’ve gone back and gotten the professor after Marianne ran away. Perhaps the issue was more complicated than she thought. 

“It’s not you. I swear, if I wasn’t there to get you, someone else would have. It’s more of a problem with me.” Hilda frowned. “I guess I’m not always the most sincere person, and sometimes I slack off in schoolwork, but I’m not unkind! I care about my friends and I compliment them and even help them! Yet people still expect more of me. They’ll force me to do things that they’d do more successfully! Ugh, I should’ve been smarter. I mean, if I hadn’t annoyed Lysithea she probably would’ve come with me!” 

“What do you mean?” 

“Oh, that. I asked if it was past her bedtime when she yawned. Because, you know, she’s a kid.” 

There was an awkward silence. To Hilda’s surprise, Marianne started giggling. Perhaps the girl was more mischievous than she let on. 

“What? It wasn’t even that funny!” 

“Sorry, I’m sorry.” Marianne cleared her throat, but her smile lingered. 

It warmed Hilda’s heart to see her causing the other to be happy for once. “Anyway, I could tell that she was really concerned about you. In the end, it was my own fault.” She fiddled with her fingers, an uneasy sense of disappointment settling in her skin. 

“Hilda… you still came for me. That’s more than I ever would have hoped,” Marianne said. 

“Huh. I did.” 

The two smiled at each other. Marianne’s eyes on her felt comforting and tender. Even with dirt and mud splattered on her clothes she managed to look beautiful. It would be so easy to lean in and… 

All of sudden, a yawn overtook Hilda, breaking the moment. “Ugh. Sleeping in this cave’s gonna be awful.” She reached out with her hands to feel the ground around her, hoping to find a spot comfortable enough to lay down on. 

“Wait,” Marianne spoke up. “I-I have an idea.” 

In the dark, Hilda couldn’t discern Marianne’s movements, but she heard the sound of ripping fabric. 

“Here. It’s the back part of my priest outfit. It can work as a pillow of sorts.” She offered it out to Hilda, who took the soft material. 

“Ooh, this’d work!” She balled it up tight and placed it on the ground before laying her head down on it. “Not… ideal, but better than nothing.” 

“Good. You can have it.” 

“What?” Hilda sat up. “I thought we’d just share it.” 

Marianne shied away. “It’s better you don’t stay too close to me.” 

“I’m not letting you sleep on the ground without a pillow. We’ll just… have to sleep back to back.” 

“It does sound nicer…” Marianne’s gaze lingered on the pillow, before trailing up to meet the other’s eyes. “Alright.” 

“I knew you’d come around!” Hilda replied cheerfully. She laid down first, snuggling her head into the cloth. Behind her, she could hear Marianne sitting down, and all of a sudden her back was pressed into Hilda’s.

In the cold of the night, Hilda was glad to have the body heat of another huddled in with her. She could feel Marianne shivering next to her. The thought of turning around to wrap  
her arms around her for warmth was so very tempting. And for more reasons than heat. 

Still, even with the stone cave ground, Hilda was fading into sleep fast. Her muscles were starting to ache from running all night, and the drizzling rain outside felt hypnotizing.  
The need for rest for overpowering. 

With another yawn, she murmured, “Goodnight, Marianne.” 

From beside her, she heard a quiet response. “Goodnight.” 

Hilda slowly blinked her eyes open and groaned. Everything hurt. Her legs were sore from last night, and her back ached from the hard ground. She closed her eyes again and stretched her arms out, sliding in closer to the pillow in hopes for more sleep… wait. 

Pillows don’t breathe. 

Hilda’s eyes shot open to see Marianne cuddled in close to her. Her head was resting on Marianne's chest comfortably, who had her arms wrapped around Hilda tight, clutching at  
her clothes. 

Marianne, thank the goddess, was still sleeping, eyes closed, with a serene expression on her face. Hilda could feel her face starting to heat up rapidly. She couldn’t believe it. She had to get away before Marianne woke up! 

Yet, another part of her wanted to stay. To nuzzle herself in closer, take the opportunity to just enjoy it. But there’s no way Marianne would feel comfortable with that.  
Hilda slowly but surely pulled Marianne’s arms away from her back and gently placed them at the girl’s sides. Then, she barely managed to squeeze back out from under Marianne’s chin and sat up, letting out a deep breath in relief. 

Just then, Marianne’s eyes flickered open. She pushed herself up drowsily. Her squinted eyes searched the room and landed on Hilda. “Oh, Hilda.” She yawned. “You-you’re already awake.” 

“Yep. Totally awake. Been so for awhile,” Hilda said with a false confidence. 

All of a sudden, a familiar voice yelled far away. “Hilda! Marianne!”

Hilda gasped. “Yes! That must be someone in the class!” 

“They went looking…” Marianne said. 

“C’mon!” Hilda took the other’s hand and started to pull her up. She was ready to tug both of them through the narrow exit when Marianne hesitated. Hilda turned to face her. “What is it?” 

“I-I want to thank you.” 

“Aw, you’re welcome. But it’s fine, you’ve already said so.”

Marianne shook her head. “No, that’s not… uh… I…” 

“Marianne?” Hilda tilted her head. 

Out of nowhere, Marianne closed the distance between them with a step and placed her lips on Hilda’s, who froze. Her heartbeat rose quickly. It felt like her brain stalled out.

She… kissed Hilda? 

_Marianne _actually kissed her? She felt the same as Hilda?__

__Marianne started to draw back, when Hilda realized she hadn’t reacted at all. Making her decision, she leaned forward, melting into the soft kiss. Marianne’s eyebrows rose at her actions, clearly not expecting it. Hilda closed her eyes, savoring the contact._ _

__Finally, they parted. The seconds afterwards, Hilda could only breathe as electric tingles ran through her body._ _

__“That… that was amazing.”_ _

__Marianne put her hand to her mouth, as if she couldn’t believe what just happened. “We should, uh, go then.”_ _

__“Huh?” Hilda realized a second too late that Marianne had already gone and ducked out of the cave to the outside. “Wait!” She raced back to join her, but stopped as soon as she saw the bright outdoors._ _

__The rain had stopped overnight, and the clouds had parted to reveal a bright blue sky overhead. Claude and the Professor were running over to Marianne, who was looking back at Hilda with a shy smile. She walked over to join them._ _

__“Thank the goddess you’re safe. Everyone’s been looking.” The professor sighed. Was that… a creased forehead? The professor was actually showing worry? It was the most emotion that Hilda had seen from her. “Now we can finally head back to camp."_ _

__“Yes please. I’ve had enough adventures for a week!” Hilda wiped her forehead._ _

__Claude laughed. “You know this doesn’t excuse you from class?”_ _

__“Ugh. Let me relax!”_ _

__Claude only threw his arm around her and winked. “Glad to see you too.”_ _

__“Alright, let’s get going,” The professor said. “Marianne, can you tell me what happened to you two?”_ _

__The blue-haired girl looked surprised to be addressed. “Oh! Yes, I can try.” The two of them walked ahead, leaving Hilda and Claude behind to catch up._ _

__Hilda stared at Marianne as she walked away, unable to contain her giddy smile. She must’ve been blushing too, because Claude was looking at her funny._ _

__“Did something… happen while you two were lost?” He asked._ _

__“Oh, be quiet.” Of course Claude would catch on. “For your information, we got chased by a giant wolf and nearly died.”_ _

__“Ah, sounds exciting. You can tell me all about it on our way back. Don’t spare any details,” Claude flashed her a cheeky grin._ _

__Hilda’s mind drifted off as the two of them started to walk back. “Yeah… I won’t hide anything. Not anymore.”_ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


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